Various applications of integrated circuits such as, for example, in the field of electronic watches required incorporation of manually operable switches. In order to obtain the benefit of the size reduction afforded by integrated circuits, it is necessary to employ very small switches of this type and this causes various mechanical difficulties. It is recognized that an integrated circuit having a dimension, for example, of a fraction of an inch square may incorporate a very large number of elements and functions and yet hybrid devices that may be necessarily employed therewith are much larger than the circuit itself and perform but a single function. As an example, certain types of electronic watches have a digital display which may employ light emitting diodes, for example, which are energized to become visible for reading the time by manual operation of an actuator or button extending from the watch case. It has been conventional to provide single pole, single throw switches for this purpose even though the circuitry benefits from the incorporation of a single pole, double throw switch. Difficulties have also arisen in connection with the reliability of very small mechanical switches employed for purposes such as that set forth above.
The present invention provides a subminiature mechanically actuated switch having highly improved reliability from both the mechanical and electrical standpoints.